Ask Coach Taylor

RT STaff Note:The following is from NCSA and Coach Taylor. Go to www.ncsasports.org for more info.

Coach Taylor – All my friends are talking about taking “unofficial” visits to colleges. How can I set those up?

This is a great question that I’m sure a lot of people are wondering. Unofficial visits are a great way to be able to talk to a coach in person, and see if the team and school is a good fit for you. Also, you can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits, and coaches are more than happy to give them to you because it doesn’t take away from their recruiting budget.

However, coaches don’t usually give unofficial visits to kids who are not a potential prospect for their program. So first, you need to develop a relationship with a coach that you are interesting in playing for. The visits will come from there. Expressing your interest is key, and it is not a bad thing to say that you are free for a weekend and would like to come for an unofficial visit. Then from there you will work on both party’s availability.

Coach Taylor – I’m getting some emails from college coaches, but there are strictly generic and not specific to me at all. What does this mean?

I understand that it makes you feel a lot more important when you receive a personal email from a college coach. They feel the same way! It’s important to realize that these coaches received your Recruiting Profile and then chose to proactively contact you. They know that your Recruiting Profile goes to a lot of coaches. They are not sure right off the bat whether you will be interested in them. There is no way for them to know what type of athlete you are or anything about your character. The coach is going out on a limb to contact you! So do not be surprised if the first contact the coach makes is a questionnaire or generic form letter. That is completely normal and to be expected! That is how coaches recruit. The personal emails and correspondence begins after you respond and the coach gets to know you a little better.